Following a “very competitive” recruitment process Adam Szabo, formerly artistic director and chief executive of the RPS Award-winning Manchester Collective, has been appointed director of the Salford-based BBC Philharmonic.
Szabo founded the Manchester Collective alongside violinist Rakhi Singh in 2016 and it has since become renowned for experimental programming, daring collaborations and engaging performances. The Collective play in concert halls, warehouses and at festivals around the world, performing a combination of cutting-edge contemporary music, classical masterpieces, and staged work to a hungry, new audience. Prior to his work with the Collective, Adam enjoyed a busy and varied career as an orchestral cellist. In this capacity, he worked with many of the finest orchestras in the UK – amongst them, the BBC Philharmonic.
In a busy period of appointments for BBC Classical, Bill Chandler also joins the London-based BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus as director. Originally from the USA, Chandler is currently director of the BBC Concert Orchestra, currently based alongside the Orchestra and Chorus at the capital’s Olympic Park.
Simon Webb, BBC’s head of orchestras and choirs, said: “The BBC is committed to bringing world-class classical music to the widest possible audiences. With these two appointments I am thrilled that the BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus and the BBC Philharmonic will be led by directors who are passionate about the role music and musicians play in society, both have served their previous ensembles so brilliantly, with creativity and innovation at the fore. I look forward to working with them as they take on these key roles in the BBC Music team.”
Szabo added: “Nothing compares to the experience of hearing a symphony orchestra at full throttle, and at their best, the BBC Philharmonic is unmatched by any group in the country. Their skill and versatility are legend. Equally at home with fiendish contemporary work as they are with our beloved orchestral canon, they embody the best of British music making. My work at Manchester Collective has been about creating radical experiences for audiences through live music. I can’t wait to bring that spirit to the BBC Philharmonic – working with these world class players to tell unique and powerful musical stories.”
Szabo begins as director of the BBC Philharmonic in February 2024, while Chandler will take up post in December 2023. Recruitment will also soon begin to find a new director for the BBC Concert Orchestra. In the meantime Carolyn Hendry – current concerts and planning manager and a member of the orchestra’s senior management team – will step up as interim director.
The new appointments come ahead of a promised “raft” of classical programming on Radio 3 moving to Salford in 2024–25 following March’s review of the BBC’s classical output.
